Review: Seven Whiskeys from 15 Stars, 2024 Releases
We first encountered 15 Stars — “the spirit of 1795,” the year Kentucky got its star on the U.S. flag — late last year. Since then, the operation has been on a tear, turning out more limited releases than we’ve been able to keep up with. In just about eight months, seven different whiskeys have arrived at Drinkhacker HQ, and today we’re finally getting down to reviewing them all.
As was the case with its earlier releases, these are sourced from all over — Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee — and while added details are sparse, 15 Stars is pretty good about providing detailed age information about its stock.
Let’s fire away at this septet of whiskeys.
15 Stars Three Kings Whiskey 11 Years Old – The brand’s first triple-blend of bourbon, rye, and wheat whiskeys aged 11 to 15 years old. Toasty and nutty on the nose, with a healthy slug of (heavy) barrel char and turned earth, together evoking an immediate sense of austerity. Aromas of pipe tobacco and roasted meats continue the theme. The palate is equally earthy and chewy, followed by a heavy herbaceous quality. Some fruit slowly comes into focus, but it takes its sweet time getting there, a mix of apples, cherries, and flamed orange peels. Some grapefruit peel hits on the enduringly savory finish, bittering heavier notes of roasted corn and mushroom. Quite a frontier-style experience that I never got my arms all the way around. 107 proof. B / $179
15 Stars Private Stock Bourbon 8 & 15 Years Old – A blend of two bourbons of 8 and 15 years old — a follow-up to the previous Private Stock release, which was a combination of 7 and 15 year old bourbons. Incredibly sweet and filled with fruit, this is a healthy, unctuous mix of apple, orange, cherry, and banana notes, a veritable slot machine that’s filtered through notes of tea leaf and cola. Time in glass allows aromas of white pepper to emerge. On the palate, the fruit is enduring and candylike, pairing with the cola notes to create something of a Cherry Coke character — spicy and sweet. Notes of cinnamon and ginger bring up the rear and race this whiskey toward a spice-forward conclusion that reminds one of the patisserie, laced with notes of chocolate, walnuts, and cookie dough. Touches of anise ring around the edges. Lots to love here from top to bottom. 107 proof. A / $139
15 Stars Timeless Reserve Bourbon 13 Years Old – Creaking, wood-panel-and-felt backrooms. The air thick with cigar smoke. Mustaches and tuxedos. These are the kind of Oldest of Old School qualities that are immediately evoked by taking one whiff of Timeless Reserve, a blend of 13 and 15 year old Kentucky straight bourbons. Intensely leathery and rich, there’s no shortage of barrel char to go around, layering everything with a smoldering, house-that-just-burnt-down quality. Time in glass helps more to come into focus, including very dark chocolate, coffee, and burnt caramel, followed by bold aromas of roasted peanuts. The palate has more spice than expected, layering the peanut buttery body with a slick of orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lots of vanilla. The wood takes a back seat but it isn’t invisible, layering on notes of lacquer and wood oil, almost piney at times. The spice approaches pepper on the finish, leaning on anise in the end. This is without doubt a whiskey that requires time and patience to open up and evolve. The finish is still chilling out on the back of my tongue as I type this, leaving behind more of that dark chocolate to enjoy. 103 proof. A- / $279
15 Stars Vino de Naranja Single Barrel 8 Years Old – An 8 year old Kentucky straight bourbon finished in a single vino de naranja (Spanish sweet orange wine) cask. One cask produced — 316 bottles. Surprisingly oaky and dusty on the nose, with orange notes a secondary aromatic element for a time. As it opens up, the citrus becomes more forceful and insistent, eventually drawing you into the palate. On the tongue there is no shortage of aggressively sweet orange character to contend with, making for a candylike experience that builds to a crescendo. The vanilla on the finish threatens to evoke Creamsicles, but there’s just so much tart orange here that the creamier notes can’t really get a foothold. Sharp and biting and effusively orangey, I almost want to try a splash in a margarita instead of triple sec. 102.8 proof. B+ / $139
15 Stars First West Rye 6 Years Old – A blend of ryes from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee at ages 6, 7, and 9 years old. Initially a bit quiet on the nose, showing gentle notes of caraway and toasted rye bread — though at the same time, it’s also gently fruity with aromas of cinnamon-dusted raisins, clove-studded oranges, and banana chips. There’s plenty of spice on the palate, and more wood than I was expecting. A punch of allspice and clove slide the whiskey into bolder black pepper notes before easing up to eventually allow some fruit back into the picture, here delivering spiced apple and a slightly floral pear note. Things build to a crescendo as the finish arrives, finally segueing into notes of fresh tobacco, some barrel char, and a reprise of caraway. Definitely a solid, if slow-starting, rye. 105 proof. A- / $89
15 Stars First West Bourbon – A more youthful riff on 15 Stars’ Platinum Bourbon expression, a blend of straight bourbons aged 15, 9, and 7 years old, distilled in Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. Toasty and a little meaty on the nose, it’s a well-spiced bourbon that features a healthy slug of pepper, clove, and dried tea leaves — though it never comes across as overly charred. Rhubarb, anise, and a little dark chocolate emerge with time in glass. On the palate, the whiskey is well-rounded and wholly approachable, full of life and, again, never coming across as heavy-handed from the barrel. Notes of chocolate and coffee are dominant, with an oily walnut and sesame character adding some savoriness. Touches of fresh greenery, Maraska cherry, and an edge of grapefruit peel evolve over time, but the chocolate-meets-walnut character remains dominant well into the finish — which is otherwise surprisingly gentle and restrained. An all-around winner for whatever you’d like, from straight sipping to mixing cocktails. 106 proof. A- / $139
15 Stars Triple Cask II Bourbon – The second version of a blend of 8 and 16 year old Kentucky straight bourbons, finished in Cognac, rum, and apple brandy casks. As should well be expected based on that setup, this is the sweetest and fruitiest expression of 15 Stars that I’ve encountered to date. An effusive nose exudes notes of apples and raisins, then along come notes of vanilla and even coconut. A chocolatey quality builds with a bit of time, laced with chopped nuts. Very soothing on the whole. The palate is immediately fruit-forward but also spicy, lots of ginger and cinnamon to mix with the notes of apple crumble and Maraska cherries. The spice notes build impressively, becoming peppery with time in glass. But leave the glass to sit for a bit and an almost pure expression of apple emerges: baked, green apples, cooked down in plenty of butter. The finish is a straight on trip to the orchard — lush and autumnal, and ready for a sweater. 103 proof. A- / $179
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